Project Management Project Management – the discipline of organizing and managing resources in such a way that the project is completed within the defined scope, quality, time and cost constraints. – Wikipedia Now let’s talk about the truth of the matter: Chaos Management! ...

The Reality of Project Management

When will I ever manage a project? Well, let’s see... Need to build a new building or renovate an existing one? Need a way to manage your electronic resources? Looking for a way to have a federated search of resources or offer content via the web? How’s that ILS working for you? Staff and patrons still need to be trained, right? Do you have any events to plan? Love that open source stuff? How’s it going to work for you? What about standards? Got digital photos or documents to access or preserve? Any new software to implement? Offering new services to your patrons?

The Answer? PROJECT MANAGEMENT!!!

Hard Truths Project management is a series of negotiations with staff, vendors and stakeholders. Project management is often about taking responsibility for a project but not necessarily having the authority to assign the tasks. Project management is about being flexible and not being afraid to fail (this is where best practices are developed). Project management is often about change management – which can be one of the hardest things to manage. Boils down to people, resources and decisions.

Task Orientation: Attention to the details Task Orientation: Attention to the details. The beginning of the project is focused on the individual tasks. You must pull those together to form a development plan and timeline. This corresponds to how the frontline staff think. They are task oriented. So, having this skill also means you can connect with them in terms of what a project might mean for their day to day activities. Management Orientation: Exactly that – having management or supervisory skills. The ability to delegate the tasks to the right people. The ability to oversee the project and make sure you stay on track. The ability to communicate information to the staff and stakeholders on a regular basis. Leadership Orientation: The ability to make decisions and to communicate with the decision makes at your organization, at the vendor's organization and at the customer level. Botton line: You have to be able to see the project from every point of view – from the bottom to the top of the organization. You must be able to communicate the project details, vision and needs to each of these people. You must be a big picture thinker as well as someone who can pay attention to the details. It's one of the hardest jobs you'll ever do. The 3 skills you need to have for successful project management. Pat Wagner. Information Outlook 10.8 (August 2006): p 24.

Before a Project Explore your options (in terms of features and cost). Seek input from the potential users of the product or service. Always have a demo or trial period if possible. Think about what this project will mean in the short-term and long-term for users and staff. Get the right people to the table to make the decision. Set goals and a potential timeline. Make sure all questions or concerns are answered by the vendor before signing the contract. If asking for anything custom, make sure it’s in the contract!

Developmental Planning Develop a plan with tasks, milestones, time frames and allocation of resources. OR review the plan the vendor provides and make modifications as necessary for your organization. Develop a vision and goals for the project – what are the expected outcomes? These may be different for different audiences. Communicate the plan and goals to your staff and patrons. Constant communication and clarification is key. Involve staff and users as much as possible in guiding the implementation, providing feedback and helping you accomplish the goals you’ve set. Make edits to the plan as necessary when things change – Being flexible is key!

Ex Project: INFOhio Project Page: http://www.infohio.org/LibraryStaff/Transition/Rooms.html Project Targets: http://www.infohio.org/ABOUT/Meetings/OELMA2006/SchoolRoomsProjectTargets20061128.pdf Pilot Participants: http://www.infohio.org/LibraryStaff/Transition/RoomsPilotContributers.html Project Update (12/2006): http://www.infohio.org/LibraryStaff/Transition/RoomsUpdate20061204.html Also included: Slides from conferences, press releases, marketing/training materials, etc...

Additional Examples University of Michigan ILS Implementation: http://portal.mlcnet.org/objects/rte/mediaupload/File/eventsdocs/annmtgs/04MacAdam_files/frame.htm#slide0001.htm UIUC Library: Digital Projects: http://www.library.uiuc.edu/digproj/dcct/index.php Implementation of Library Standards in Missouri: http://www.sos.mo.gov/library/libstan.pdf Open Source Implementation (Koha): http://webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=1172

During the Project: Tips for Success Be realistic in your planning and flexible. Set up a pilot test is possible to help you establish best practices. Talk with people at all levels of the organization to find out their questions and concerns. Constant updates are key! Involve the right people at all stages. Determine a measurement for success. Seek constant feedback. Be clear about the plan and explain what it means for EVERYONE. Plan the work based on the resources you have. Know when to discuss and when a decision needs to be made. Look for opportunities to promote the project – constantly build support. Be aware of cost considerations. Test the product/project at every phase!

After a Project Record your experience and determined best practices. Publish or present if given the opportunity. It provides valuable info for other libraries. Seek feedback from staff and users about the success of the project and how it could have been better. It might be necessary to have a more formal evaluation to determine whether you've met your goals (i.e. To increase test scores; To increase usage of databases; To foster better partnerships, etc...). So, make plans accordingly. Take your experience and lessons learned into your next project. But remember that no project is ever entirely repeatable. Be willing to make adjustments.

Project Management Software Open Source: Zoho Basecamp Open Workbench Proprietary: MS Project Project KickStart List of software @ Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_project_management_software

Additional Resources PM Podcasts: www.thepmpodcast.com Project Mgmt: Are We Having Fun Yet? Presentation: http://www.lib.msu.edu/lucasn/staff/presentations/project.htm Washington State Library – Digital Best Practices: http://digitalwa.statelib.wa.gov/newsite/projectmgmt/index.htm Urban Libraries Article: http://www.urbanlibraries.org/showcase/eli_projectmanagement.html Explaining the Napkin (LibTechBytes Blog): http://librarybytes.com/archive/2007_01_01_libtechbytes_archive.html Project Mgmt Software: http://www.project-management-library.com/index.htm’

Questions? Tell me and I’ll forget; Show me and I might remember; Involve me and I’ll understand -- Chinese Proverb & Also the Best Way to Manage a Project